SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Last-minute shoppers visited stores across the Valley on Christmas Eve as some brick-and-mortar businesses stayed open to capture every possible sale.
At Retail Therapy AZ’s Fashion Square location in Scottsdale, more than 100 locally-owned small businesses were represented under one storefront as customers made final holiday purchases.
Sandy Little, the owner of ‘Frittle Fab’, displayed products on her shelf, representing dozens of hours of her hard work creating handmade jewelry and other beaded products.
“Every single one of these beads is put on by me, every twist of the wire I twist,” Little explained.
She spends hours late at night crafting her products, all while juggling a full-time job.
“I’m up until 3 a.m. making stuff, but I enjoy every minute of it, it’s been more than I could ever ask for,” Little said. “You do it at night, but it’s something you love to do.”
During this holiday season, Little said she has had to restock her shelves every day.
“The holiday season, this is our superbowl,” Little said.
Trish Adams, owner of Shirt Shop Arizona, also operates her locally owned business out of the Retail Therapy AZ location. The local business owner says she’s had to expand her product display three times this year due to high customer demand.
“This has been really busy for me, a crazy busy month, probably the highest of the year,” Adams said.
Erica Jerido owns Retail Therapy AZ and said all six of their locations across the Valley remained open on Christmas Eve to give locally-owned businesses the chance to make holiday sales.
“To be able to provide this as a home for so many small business owners is incredible,” Jerido said. “We obviously have an incredible team that would love to be home with their families, but all of our team knows that we are dedicated to supporting these small business owners.”
Thomas Barr with Local First said this holiday season is especially important for locally-owned, small businesses because the year has been particularly unpredictable for owners.
“They have had to manage through tariffs, whether they’re happening or they’re not happening, and all of those different announcements that come out really make it hard for a business to plan ahead,” Barr said.
He said the uncertainty makes it all the more important for shoppers to keep their dollars in Arizona, going directly to owners like Little and Adams.
“This is another way for the community to give back to local business, and for us to celebrate and show a little piece of ourselves in your homes and with your families,” Little said.
Local First AZ maintains an online directory with more than 6,000 local business options. Barr recommends including “local” in online searches when looking for products.
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